Siding-gage



C. HARMON.

s o c GAGE.

APPLICATIO ILED FEB. 2|. I916- Patented Aug. 1, 1916.

TEE

CHARLES HARMON, OF L OUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

SIDING- GAGE.

Application filed February 21, 1916.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES HARMON, a citizenof the United States, residing at Louisville, in the county of Jeffersonand State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Siding- (iages; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in gages and more particularly tosiding gages.

One object of the invention is to provide a simply constructed, cheaplymanufactured, strong and efficient gage of this character for gaging ormeasuring the width of the siding to be exposed or laid to the weatherand for supporting and holding the next board above in its place readyfor nailing.

Another object of the invention is to provide a gage of this character,the securing prongs of which have alined members provided with combinedboard holding means an'd driving heads.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction, and the combination and arrangement ofparts which will be hereinafter more particularly described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 represents a vertical section ofa portion of the side of a building showing this improved gage appliedand in side elevation. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of a portion of theside of a building showing this improved gage applied; and Fig. 3 is adetail perspective view of the gage.

In the embodiment illustrated, this improved gage is made substantiallyin the form of the letter H, the parallel arms 1 and 2 of which areconnected by a cross bar 3 which may be of any desired length, say fromabout two to six inches, according to the width of the portion of theboard it is desired to expose to the weather, said bar 3 being designedto correspond to the distance between the lower overlapping edge of theboard B and the point near its upper edge with which the lower edge ofthe board B above is designed to register as shown in Fig. 1 of thedrawing. The space between these points constitutes the weather show ofthe siding or clapboard. These combined gage and supporting devices, anydesired Specification of Letters iatent.

Patented Aug. 1., 1 9165.

Serial No. 79,686.

number of which maybe employed for supporting the board to be nailed,are each constructed from a metal bar of a requisite size and strengthhaving its terminals sharpened to form spurs 1 and 5 and is folded onitself at points spaced a corresponding distance from said terminals asshown at 6. The folded or doubled portions 7 and 8 of the bar extendfrom the points of fold 6 to points midway or substantially midway theends of the side members 1 and 2 and then the folded portion is extendedat right angles to said side members 1 and 2 to form the connectingcross bar 3. The folded or doubled ends of the arms 1 and 2 are extendedlaterally outward and inclined inwardly toward said arms to form boardsupporting fingers 9 and 10 which are designed to prevent the board tobe nailed from slipping laterally off the combined support and gage, andwhich also form means for engagement by a hammer or other tool forremoving the gages when it is desired to change the positions thereof.The fingers 9 and 10 of the arms 1 and 2 are preferably flattened andthe double portions of these arms are preferably welded together toincrease the strength thereof.

In the use of this improved gage, the carpenter first determines thedistance below the top edge of the under piece or nailed board to whichhe desires the board above to extend and which may vary from onehalf toan inch more or less. He then selects gages, the cross bars 3 of whichcorrespond to the distance from this point as indicated at P to thelower edge of the nailed board and drives the prongs of the gage intothe siding, one being arranged below and in con tact with the lower edgeof the bottom board B and the upper one penetrating said board at thepoint to which he desires the overlapping upper board B to extend as isshown clearly in Fig. 1 of the drawing. When the gage is so driven, itwill constitute not only a gage for measuring the distance for theoverlap of the board above, but also constitutes a brace or rack uponwhich the board to be nailed is supported. It will, of course, beunderstood that any desired number of these gages may be employed forsupporting the board B according to the length and weight of the board.

It will thus be observed that by the use of this combined gage andsupport, that the clapboards employed in weather boarding of thischaracter may be' placed ready for nailing Without the delay ofmeasuring and driving nails for the support and also provides forquickly determining the Width of the show of the Weather boarding.

I claim as my invention:

A siding gage composed of a single metal bar folded on itself to formparallel arms with a cross bar connecting them intermediately of theends of said arms, one end of said arms being sharpened to form spursand their other ends bent laterally outward to form board supportingfingers, the arms beyond one side of said cross bar being doubled toform strengthened board supporting 5 CHARLES HARMON.

Witnesses:

GEORGE B. SHAW, ELIZABETH OLEAR'Y.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

